Try Not to Remember
by o0MissBennet0o
Summary: Booth and Brennan deal with the bittersweetness of a goodbye. Fluffy BB. Chapter 2 up, as requested.
1. Try not to remember

**A/N: I know EVERYONE has done a fic with this subject, but the idea**** stuck in my head and I got blocked with my other fics. It's a very cliché and movie-like, but it was begging to be done. I hope you like it!!**

**Disclaimer: Don't own Bones.**

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The sun was warm, but the wind was blowing too strong for comfort as Booth passed over the last door he had to cross before boarding on possibly the last plane he would ever be on.

_That's not a very positive attitude_, he thought. But then again, how could he be too positive when his current situation left him feeling just a little bit hopeless? _Just try not to remember what you went through before_, he told himself for the hundredth time that day.

Straitening his uniform, he watched as a young officer said goodbye to his pregnant wife. Her eyes were full of tears as she kisses her husband, nearly breaking when he kneeled and kissed her stomach, telling their unborn baby that daddy would be home soon. She caressed his hair, smiling through her tears as he got up and kissed her one more time before turning to leave.

_Yes_, Booth thought, _I know that pain_. He didn't have a wife, but he had a son, and he had _her_. Turning his back to the crying wife he focused his eyes on the exit doors. And just as he turned his eyes caught a glimpse of a familiar crowd.

Booth smiled as he watched his friends walking towards him for the last goodbye. There they were: Zach, Hodgins, Cam and Angela. He stretched his neck up, trying to look behind them.

"Don't worry," said Angela as they reached the outside, "She's coming, just needed some time alone," a wink from Angela left Booth smiling sadly. He actually thought that he would miss her teasing him about Brennan.

"When are you boarding?" asked Cam, looking over his shoulder. Walking towards the plane she could see a number of officer, all of them dresses in their uniforms, carrying their duffle bag thrown over their shoulders in the same manner.

"Ten minutes, tops," he answered, now glancing over Cam's shoulders.

"Can you focus on saying goodbye to us first, and then you'll have your time with your Bones," said Angela, smiling as she saw his cheeks turning pink.

"Sorry. Okay," he said as he rubbed his hands together, "Who's going first?"

"Let's just shake our hands before the girls do their whole crying thing," said Hodgins, earning a laugh from the former agent, current Ranger.

"Good idea," Booth said as he shook the entomologist's outstretched hand. "Don't bore Angela with your theories, okay? You're lucky enough she puts up with all your weird habits already".

"I'll try my best," Hodgins said, glancing at his smiling fiancé.

"And you, kid," said Booth, turning his body towards Zach. The doctor looked up from the ground, not really knowing how to proceed. Realizing that he had nothing to say, Booth lifted his hand and patted Zach on the shoulder, and that seemed to do the trick as the younger man relaxed. Just then, his eyes landed over the glass exit of the airport, and she was there, her blue eyes piercing through his.

Wearing a blue dress with a belt under her breasts, Brennan crossed the doors as her heels carried her. He expected her to stop beside Angela, but instead, she continued to walk, stopping ahead of them, closer to the plane. He understood her immediately. Whatever they had to say to each other that day, she wanted it to stay between them. And so she stood there, arms crossed defensively, squinting against the sun.

"Let's just get this over so you can go to her," said Cam, always a bit rough but caring on her own way, "Seeley…"

"Camille," he said, and she smiled at him while putting her arms around his neck as they hugged.

"Don't play hero, okay?" she said as she stepped back, her dark hair falling over her shoulders.

"Can't promise that," he said, meaning for a joke but not succeeding. There was, indeed, no way to make that promise. It was his instinct to protect others, and that was the main reason why he stood there now, saying goodbye to them.

"Always the knight," said Angela, a sad smile on her face as a few tears where gathering on her eyes. Booth walked to her, hugging the artist.

"Take care of her, okay?" he didn't have to say anything, but the thought of leaving her alone with no one to stop her from turning into the same Brennan he met two years ago was too much for him, "Don't let her work too much, and make sure she leaves that damn lab sometimes," the worry was so evident in his voice that Angela smiled wider.

"Of course, sweetie. Just come back," stepping back, she sighed, watching her best friend from afar, "Go," she said, and he gave them all one last look before turning. Walking slowly, with each step he took, his heart beat faster, and his throat went drier.

"Bones," he called, and she turned her eyes from the plane to focus on him. She seemed calm, too calm for him. When the news of his departure came, he handled her anger. It was an emotion, he could handle that. But when her eyes became unfocused, and her mouth would be set in a thin line, then he would worry.

"Can we not prolong this, please?" she asked. There was no anger on her tone, but Booth heard the undeniable tinge of sadness.

"Are you in a hurry to get rid of me Bones?" That made her smile. _Mission accomplished_, he thought, smiling back.

"I'm just… I'm not good with goodbyes. I don't know what to say," she looked so uncertain, worried that in her natural blunt state she could say the wrong thing. So adorable, his lovely Bones.

"There is no wrong thing to say. There is no book on how to do this," he said, reaching out to touch her hair. He expected her to pull away, but she simply stood there, watching him watching her. The sun was shining, and her locks glowed in the many different shades that always made him sigh in wonder. He would miss that.

"There is always a wrong thing to say, and I think I have proven that over the years," she smiled wider when he chuckled, a warm sound that always comforted her. She would miss that.

"Come on, Bones. You've improved a lot since we met," he said, dropping his hand to his side.

"Right," she said, smiling wider at his compliment, "Did you said goodbye to Parker?" she asked, watching his features cloud over.

"Yeah, Rebecca thought it would be better if he wasn't here when I took off," her eyes softened, the discreet smile on her lips like a cool wind on a hot summer night. "I actually think she was right. Seeing him now would be too hard."

She watched his face for a minute, memorizing every inch of him. His eyes, warm and bright, his lips, his newly shaved head; everything that the man standing before her who he was: Seeley Booth. "Do you really have to go?" she asked sweetly, tempted to run her fingertips over his face, just to make sure that he was still there.

"I really have to go," he thought the hardest part had been saying goodbye to his son, but leaving her was proving to be just as painful, "Rangers lead the way, right?"

"Right," behind him Brennan saw the last soldiers boarding the plane. _This is it_, she thought.

"I think your ride is about to leave," she said, and he turned to confirm what he already new, "Can we not hug or anything? Because I'm certain that if you hug me I'll start crying, and I really don't want to do that." He tried to hide his disappointment along with his hurt. Touching her was something he earned to do, but her wish was his command.

"Right, so… Goodbye Dr Brennan," he said with a smile, saluting her. She smiled back, saluting him.

"Goodbye Captain Booth," and with a final look, he threw his duffel bag over his shoulders and turned to leave, winking at her for the last time. She stood there, watching his retrieving form, and a warm sensation on her cheeks made her lift her hand over her face. Realizing she was crying, she wiped the tears away, angry with herself. She could not break down now that he would be gone.

"That could've gone better," murmured Angela as she watched Brennan walking towards them, hugging herself tightly as the wind played with her hair, sending her locks flying all over her face.

"He's coming back," said Cam.

Just as he turned his back to her, Booth felt a weight over his heart, and the bag suddenly seemed a lot heavier than it really was.

Something snapped inside him, the pieces falling together perfectly. If he left everything the way it was, he would certainly regret everything left unsaid, and the words would echo in his head, driving him mad. Throwing the bag on the floor, he turned, walking in long strides.

She didn't hear him coming, and neither acknowledged his presence until his hands gripped her arms, spinning her around to face him. She had no time to react, to ask him what he was doing before his lips crashed on hers. Taken aback by him, she slowly relaxed herself, meeting him in the kiss with equal passion.

His fingers entangled themselves in her hair, lost in the soft waves as the other found its way to her back, pressing her closer to him. One hand on his neck, the other on his shoulder, she let herself get lost on his lips, her mind going on overdrive as his tongue made entrance on her mouth, tasting her with desperation. Too soon for both they separated, their foreheads pressed together as they savored the last contact.

"Wait for me," he said breathless, his nostrils invaded by the flowery scent of her shampoo.

"I'll wait for you," she said, her lips finding his again.

And as they parted Booth stole one last glance at her, his eyes memorizing her glow, her beautiful face, the tinkle on her eyes as she gazed at him; everything that made her who she was: Temperance Brennan, his Bones.

Turning his back he picked up his bag from the floor, not daring to look back in fear of loosing the last remaining courage he had. He needed to leave, but he also needed to come back, and for that he needed to be concentrated.

Glancing at her partner, she smiled sadly as her fingers traced her swollen lips, still tasting him on her tongue. Feeling an arm linking itself with hers, she didn't bother to look at her side to acknowledge the contact.

"He'll come back to you, sweetie," Angela's voice was so soft and certain that Brennan almost believed her. Almost.

"How do you know that? Statistically speaking…" she was cut off by Angela's hand squeezing her arm.

"This isn't about that. This is about Booth, and the fact that he would never break a promise he made to you."

"You can't say that," she knew what Angela was trying to do, but the last thing she wanted was comfortable lies.

"Yes, I can, because I have faith in Booth. I have faith that he'll come back to you. And it doesn't matter how much you deny it, I know you have too. Just try not to forget that," and truly, if she was honest with herself, she knew that the irrational little voice inside telling her that everything would be okay seemed remarkably like what Angela described as faith.

And so she embraced her best friend, safely tucking all her negative thoughts away, going completely against her own nature. If faith could bring him back to her, then she would call herself faithful.

All that mattered was having him back home. Back to her.

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So, what do you think? I hope you liked it, leave me a review!!


	2. Try not to forget

**A/N: I was so overwhelmed by the reviews I got that I had to write another chapter!! So here it is, and I hope you like it!!**

**A huge thank you to everyone that left a review: rosyle, Bsquared19, inonolimits00, omg, Katie Lupin, Lu78, BB-Jate-MiSA, SplishSplash, laslady, AtMyBehest, bb-4ever, Queen Isabella, TVObsessee, TemperTemper, Boneslover123, Julie, AJMfan, ForRomance and mj x2010. This chapter is for you!!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bones.**

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For too long she sat in the shadows for the last seven months. And now finally Temperance Brennan was glad to contemplate light again as her days had been hazy for as long as she could remember.

For seven months she stood strong on the outside while inside she feared every ring of her phone, feared the nine o'clock news as she visualized a bombing on an American Training Camp. She had to keep herself controlled; she had to convince her mind that everything would be okay. That he would come home safe.

Like Angela promised her.

But faith wasn't as easy to keep as she thought. In one hand, she had the love she could never rationalize or explain and in the other, she had all the facts and logic that she always believed to be loyal to her. Facts never betrayed her, and her emotions always left more scars.

But then again, if she had been rational, she would have never found love. If she had been rational, she would have never known how sweet his lips tasted against hers. And that was enough to keep her going. The thought of another chance in life renewed her faith every morning she woke up, drenched in sweat as her dreams were plagued with images of him dying half way across the world.

And then they began to come. As a special request from the Military, she started to identify Iraq casualties. There was nothing casual about that, and all they said about collateral damage just enraged her.

And to her, every skull she held belonged to a soldier that fought with Booth, by his side. And that man left someone who loved him like she loved Booth. And that someone was a woman just like her, who feared the day her world would fall apart. Someone who would receive a visit from two soldiers, mourning her lost as they handed her a gold medal, a symbol of bravery.

And in every day that she scribed a soldier's name on one of the reports, her heart would hurt just a little bit more, and her skin would feel just a little bit colder with his absence. Because this was not what she wanted for herself, this was not the future she envisioned, and she feared that fate more than anything. She feared the loneliness she once preferred.

The letters she got weren't enough, always too short for comfort. She couldn't see his eyes, or hear him laugh. And then she started to forget his charming smile, the one he saved just for her, the one that told her everything she needed to know. And so she tried not to forget who he was, fighting hard to keep him alive within her, fighting to hang on to everything she could to keep herself from falling. She knew that she was stronger than this.

And every night Angela forced her to go home, and she would curl up on her bed, protecting herself against the cold that threatened to turn her back to who she was before he came along. She didn't want to go back, because for once in her life, she preferred to feel the pain than to be numb.

And every memory she had was a shield, something she used to keep her promise. She had faith, not the spiritual kink, but, for her, an irrational believe that went against everything she knew to be truth. And it was okay for her, because if she had faith he would come home.

It was that certainty that held her up as she stood outside the same doors she crossed before seeing him for the last time, walking away from her. And as the wind fought with her hair, Brennan stood still, not bothering to brush her locks away from her eyes.

Behind her, Cam, Angela, Zach and Hodgins waited patiently for Booth's arrival. And as the plane began to land, Brennan's heart stopped inside her chest.

Sensing her friend's distress, Angela took Brennan's hand in hers, squeezing it tightly as the anthropologist turned to her, "I told you so," Angela whispered, smiling. And Brennan smiled back, but she still wasn't convinced. She would only let herself believe that he was fine when she saw him, touched him. She needed proof that he was there. That he was home.

And then the soldiers began to descend the stair.

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Everyone said that seven months would pass quickly. But Seeley Booth no longer believed that. Seven months was a lifetime to be away.

Parting from Brennan was hard. He left her standing in that airport, her eyes saying goodbye, her lips calling him back as he tried to walk away. He wasn't leaving her forever, it was just seven months. And that became his mantra. It was just seven months.

When the plane landed on Iraq, things started to get more real. And once again he was drawn back to the world he tried so hard to escape from. Once more he was facing the choices he tried so hard to leave in the past. Who lives, who dies? He never liked to play God.

And being away from her just made everything that much harder. Over the years, he had grown used to seeing her everyday, bickering and laughing over Chinese or Tai food. And now he ate alone, imagining what she was doing so far away, picturing her in her lab coat, hunched over a skeleton as she "bonded" with the dead.

Phone calls weren't aloud, everything was traceable. And the few letters he managed to send to her and Parker were too short, too impersonal to be enough. They all said the same thing, over and over again telling her that he was fine, that everything would be okay. He told her that he was coming home soon. Was he?

He wanted to keep his promise, wanted so bad to go back to her, to kiss her with the same passion as he did in that airport, but the odds were against him. He tried to keep himself from thinking like that, but then came the day that he took a bullet in the shoulder, and for the first time since he landed, Booth began to regret asking her to wait for him.

How could he have asked her that? How would she cope if he died? Would she break? Would she close herself again? All these thought were running through his mind as they patched him up that night, praying that an infection wouldn't plague him, praying that his flesh and skin would start to heal before sunrise.

Booth was a man of faith, and his prayers were very strong. He didn't get an infection and his wound was healing fast. Fast enough for him to stay, for him to want to stay. And he kept fighting, would keep fighting until his last day in Iraq. He would withstand everything to go back to her.

And the days went by, and slowly her smile began to fade away in his mind as he held tight to every single memory he had of her, draining strength from her, keeping her alive inside him.

And she was his shield against the horrors he witnessed. She kept him sane, safe and sound. And every time he began to break, his memories pieced him together again like Brennan did with the bashed skulls on her metal table.

Brennan and Parker were the reasons why he stayed alive for the seven months he was away. And they were the reasons why he was sitting in that chair, inside the plane that was soon to land on Washington DC. His home, and the home of those he loved most. He nervously tapped his fingers on the armrest, trying hard to keep himself cool.

Sitting beside Booth was the same officer that was saying goodbye to his pregnant wife as they parted from DC. Booth didn't know him very well, only that his name was Tommy. Said soldier turned towards Booth, a huge smile on his face as he reached inside his chest pocket.

"This is my baby girl," he said, handing Booth a black and white sonogram picture, "Last time I saw her she looked like this so I can only imagine how she looks now". The man was deliriously happy, grinning from ear to ear as he took the picture back.

"I'm sure she's beautiful," babies were all alike to Booth, but it seemed to be the right thing to say.

"If she looks like my wife, I'm sure she is," he said, glancing at his clock, "Do you have children?"

"Yeah, one boy, five years old," said Booth, a wide smile on his face as he thought of Parker. He missed him so much, but he would only see his boy latter as Rebecca and he decided that it was best for Parker to see him away from the airport. In compensation, Booth would have the entire weekend to spend with his son.

"You married?" Tommy asked.

"No. But I have a girl waiting back home," Brennan would kill him if she ever found out that he called her a girl.

"Nice. They really make all the difference. You fight harder when you have someone to go back to," Tommy looked at his watch for the third time.

"Yeah," whispered Booth, turning his face towards the window, his eyes catching sight of Dulles airport. "We're back," he said as they felt the plane land beneath their feet. Slowly all the soldiers started to get up, moving on the very narrow corridor, each wearing matching grins as they anticipated a loving reunion.

But Booth was suddenly apprehensive. Many questions were running through his head as he took each step that would carry him outside. Was she okay? Did Angela make sure she didn't get sick or too tired? Did she get herself in trouble while he was away? Did she wait for him?

He had to calm himself down; he needed to be prepared for anything. Collecting his duffel bag, Booth threw it over his shoulder as his eyes squinted against the sun. Taking each step very slowly, he descended the steps, his eyes searching the airport for any signs of her.

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Her breath caught in her throat as the first soldier stepped on firm ground. Behind him the rest followed his steps, the straight line they made slowly fading as they set themselves on their paths to their waiting families. Stretching her neck she looked over their heads, trying to find him as an irrational fear gripped her, and she began to believe that he wasn't there.

Taking her hand from Angela's, Brennan took three steps forward, her eyes searching for his. As the mass dissipated, closer to the plane she saw him. With his bag thrown over his shoulder, he made his way to her with his head down, slow steps taking him closer. She stopped, waiting for him to see her there.

And as he lifted his head, they found each other.

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When his right foot touched the ground, Booth observed as Tommy ran towards his wife, their beautiful child waiting for him, wrapped safely in her mother's arms. His wife cried, hugging him tightly as she kissed him over and over again, whispering words of love that were whispered back.

"I'm your daddy," Tommy whispered to his daughter, holding her for the first time, "I'm your daddy, Katie," kissing her forehead, he opened one arm to hold his wife closer, kissing her on her lips as he cried.

Sending a smile to Tommy as he looked at Booth, he turned his head back to the airport, taking steps forward as he scanned the crowd. And suddenly something hit him. What if she wasn't there? A heavy weight landed over his chest as he believed that to be true. Lowering his head, he felt his muscles burning with fatigue, his bag heavier over his shoulders as all his strength was drained from his body.

Taking just one more step, he lifted his head. Standing over the other end of the airport he saw her. His eyes found hers and all the weight he had been carrying was lifted from him.

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For a moment they stood still, watching each other from afar. Brennan was the first to move, taking a slow tempting step in his direction. Guided by her action Booth began to walk towards hers, and just a few steps ahead they met halfway. He took in face, her pale skin, her baby blue eyes and her hair, now longer since he last saw her, reaching her breasts.

Standing before him now, everything felt surreal to Brennan. Was he really there, or was she imagining it?

With a final step towards him, Brennan just stared at him. Taking her arms up, she took her hands slowly up to his face, afraid that he would disappear right before her eyes. When her palms finally made contact with his cheeks she gasped, a tear rolling down her face as she felt his warmth against her hands. "You're here," she whispered softly.

Happiness couldn't describe what he was feeling at the exact moment her hands touched his skin. A maze of emotions boiled inside him, and his heart sped up, pounding against his chest like a drum. "I told you I would come back," he whispered back to her.

Lifting his hands to his face, he touched her fingers, slowly descending to her forearms until he reached her elbows. Looking at her face, he saw her eyes were closing, her cheeks moistened with the very few tears that escaped.

Brennan opened her eyes when she felt Booth's hands going from her elbows to her back, and suddenly she was being pulled closer to him. Looking into his eyes, she laughed, "I missed you," she said when his forehead touched hers.

"I missed you too," he said, his smile wide and infectious and she smiled wider at him, taking in his scent, his warmth, everything she missed terribly while he was gone. Pulling her as close to him as possible, he felt her heartbeat against his chest, the rhythm matching that of his own heart.

"Don't leave again," she whispered softly, lifting her head to look into his eyes. Her face was just inches from his as he felt her breath, hot and sweet, mingling with his.

"Never," he said as his lips descended on her, so soft at first that they barely felt it. But all those months spent away left him wanting her with urgency. And now she was here, in front of him, burning for the same comfort he needed.

And so his lips pressed harder, more insistent against her soft ones, until she opened her mouth. And all the horrors he saw, all the pain he felt for those months didn't matter anymore. Because he was back, and she was his.

As Booth's tongue touched hers, all her pain subsided, and all her fears and doubts melted away with his touch. And at some point of their passionate kiss, she realized that she could no longer feel the ground beneath her feet. Laughing against his lips she broke the kiss, watching him grinning like a fool as he held her up from the floor, his grip tight on her waist.

"Let me go," she said, laughing while glaring at him playfully.

"I can't," he said, tightening his grip on her, his meaning not lost on Brennan. She smiled softly at his little confession.

"I can't let you go either," she said, kissing him again, more passionate this time.

They were both lost in each other, not caring that the squints were behind them, not caring if the whole world could see them right then. It didn't matter, because the world finally made sense again. And life never felt sweeter.

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So, what do you think?


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